Thursday, August 10, 2017

I love the past eras where people loved to entertain their family and friends, and they actually had the time or took the time to have them over for gatherings in the kitchen or dining era. This is still one of the delights of living that makes me so happy! Last night I entertained in the boiling 32 C heat in our dining/kitchen area and I used a real table cloth, and my fine Dimity Rose pattern china set by Royal Albert which I collected piece by piece in the 1970's and 1980's. (a lot as gifts from my parents)

I love my china set dearly and I use it often. Not every day, of course, but for special occasions and for company. Our son has actually said that he likes my china pattern, so hopefully one day he will use it too!

Friday, June 23, 2017

Three weeks ago we returned from our trip to Europe, to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.

It was shorter than 10 years ago, and Matthew didn't come with this time. We visited London, Somerset, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Port Meirion, Dublin, Oxford, Paris, Maastricht, Frankfurt and Heidelberg.

The above 2 photos were taken at YVR before we set off. As usual we got there by taxi too early, but I always have a fear of not getting there in time, so we browsed the shops, and had supper before boarding the plane. I think YVR is a very pretty airport.

After 2 nights in London we traveled by train for 2 hours to Castle Carry, where we caught an expensive taxi to Wells. We spent 2 nights here, and I could cheerfully have spent 2 weeks. John Chant, a distant relative of the Palmer family, came and picked us up at noon and drove us to

Stoke-sub-Hamdon, place of the Palmer ancestors. It was a dream come true! Here I am with John at Ham Hill.

Here I am at Stoke Priory, a medieval hall in

Stoke-sub-Hamdon.

John and Robert in Stoke Priory.

Another of my dreams come true; St Andrew's Cathedral, commonly known as Wells Cathedral. Elizabeth Goudge was born close by in 1900.

And yet another dream come true; Geufron Terrace where my paternal Grandfather, John Griffith Williams was born, in Blaenau Ffestiniog. We loved Blaenau!

Robert at the Llechwedd Slate Mines.

We visited Port Meirion on our full day in Blaenau.

We rode the one hour long old Ffestiniog train down, and spent a few hours. This is where "The Prisoner" was filmed 50 years ago.

Capel Pisgah, a renovated Welsh miners chapel, where we stayed for 2 nights.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

30 years ago Robert and I bought our first home on April 23, 1987. We had been saving for 5 years. I was 26 and Robert was 28. I felt we were getting quite old. The house was $110,000 and that was the highest we could afford.

This was the year after Expo '86 and properties were starting to increase in value. When a home came for sale, there were "bidding wars". Many offers were put in at one time. We offered $1,000 more, as our real estate agent suggested, and our offer was accepted, plus appliances, as a young pastor owned the house, and he liked us when he found out Robert was an assistant pastor/preacher at the local church nearby.

We were THRILLED to be home owners! The house was built in 1949 and we thought it was ancient! It needed a lot of work inside, so after living here for 7 years we moved a few blocks away to our present location, to a house which was only 3 years old.

In 2003 the dear old house was torn down, and this is the current value of the property. (taken from the BC Assessment website)

Sunday, April 16, 2017

I'm so thankful for this day. I believe in the Cross on Mount Calvary, and I believe in Christ Jesus who has saved me from my sin, and took my place so I have the hope of Eternal Life.

Me and Robert on Easter Sunday 2017.

Myself in the outfit I bought for our 35th wedding anniversary on April 3rd.

Daffodils in Victoria BC, where we spent our 35th anniversary.

Me in the Victoria butterfly gardens, which I enjoyed thoroughly! Robert below.If you stand still, the butterflies land on you.

Eating our fancy dinner at the James Bay Inn Hotel, where we stayed. It was built in 1911 and it was fantastic, in the historic area of James Bay in Victoria BC.

Clover Point in Victoria; we had a lovely weekend away.

I'm so thankful for my dear hubby, who has stood by me all these years.

On March 31 my Dad was rushed to Burnaby Hospital with a serious infection. It had entered his blood, and after tests and an MRI the Doctor finally found a blocked 3" in circumference kidney stone. After an operation, my Dad, Jack Williams was finally released home on Good Friday, after spending 2 weeks in hospital.

We are so thankful and relieved, as he is 87. He did very well, and knew all the nurses by name. He was a great trooper!

Friday, March 17, 2017

I love to browse Pinterest, and I get really inspired by the crafts I see there.

Someone had designed an Altoid tin box, so I used what I had on hand and copied it.

I found the images on Pinterest and printed them on paper.

I used dimensional sticky tape underneath them.

I used fabric and lace and ribbon and shamrock embellishments I already had on hand.

I think it turned out cute!

My box is a vintage Sucrets cough candy box made in the USA from my parent's collection.

The other week I created shamrock "candy" using the shamrock bead embellishments.

I cut lollipop sticks in half, and lined them up under the shamrock, layered on top of packing tape. Then I carefully placed another layer of tape on top, and I used a bit of the cardboard stapled to the end, which had been on the bead bag. Cool, eh?

Here is a closeup of the candy. I saw an idea online using heart beads for Valentine's so I decided to try it with the shamrock beads, which I found at Dollarama.

I put these photos on my doll blog too, but thought I'd also add them here.

I'm planning to print and frame it for my pink sewing room. That will cheer me up a lot.

I got really sick again on March 1st.

I was struck out of the blue with a tickle cough which became an upper respiratory infection. I haven't had a normal cold in over 10 years, so the things which strike are horrible. Then a few days later Robert got it, and it didn't seem like he'd be as sick, but he rapidly got more ill than me. The only way to get rid of it is to sleep around the clock, and steam yourself with Vix.

Eleven days later I'm finally feeling much better.

Then it snowed 6 inches on March 4th, and it finally melted yesterday, March 10th. We've sure had an awful winter.

About Me

I'm a Christian and happily married to my husband for 35 years. We have one son, Matthew, and we celebrated our 25th anniversary and his high school graduation by traveling to Europe, Wales and England in 2007, which is when I began this blog. Please leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!